Tokyo Tech students from the Society for the Study of Robotics, an official student club, have won the Best Performance Award at the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) Marine Robots Night Festival. The event was held at Nippon Maru Memorial Park in Yokohama City on July 12, 2023, as part of the IFAC World Congress 2023, a public forum that took place at the Pacifico Yokohama convention complex from July 9 to 14.
A night of marine robotics and entertainment
The Marine Robots Night Festival aimed to promote marine robotics and control technology, and featured exhibits from marine technology-related companies and organizations and an open marine robot performance contest. Unlike typical marine robot events that focus on technical abilities such as dive depth, capability to withstand waves, and ease of maneuverability and maintenance, this contest focused on how well the robots could entertain people unfamiliar with underwater technology for 10 minutes.
The contest was held in the evening, so each team’s robot was fitted with LED lights and other decorations. The Tokyo Tech team applied a multi-colored LED tape across their robots, aiming for a spectacular performance during which the colors were controlled in time with the music.
Kurione2 and Kurione3: The star performers
The Tokyo Tech team used two of their underwater robots – Kurione2, which competed in the 8th Underwater Robotics Competition in Okinawa in November 2022, and Kurione3, a newly developed robot based on Kurione2. They combined performances with music and technical commentary to showcase their robots’ features and functions.
One of the most impressive features of the robots was the water fountain function, which was the toughest challenge technically. The team designed a centrifugal pump based on fluid dynamics to produce a 3-meter-high fountain using a mechanism in which a motor spins an impeller to project a jet of water. Since the motor can malfunction if it comes into contact with seawater, it was necessary to devise a way to transmit power between the motor and the propeller in the sea while preventing contact with seawater.
The team used a mechanism called magnet coupling, in which magnets are attached to the rotating shafts of both the motor and propeller, and the rotational power is transmitted by the magnetic force of both. This force is transmitted even if an object such as an acrylic plate is inserted between the magnets, so the motor can be completely shielded from seawater.
A rewarding experience for future engineers
The Tokyo Tech team faced many difficulties in developing their robots, such as loss of magnetic force due to water pressure, leakage of water into the robot body, and malfunction of electronic components. However, they overcame these challenges through trial and error, and were able to create a stunning show that impressed both the judges and the audience.
The team members expressed their joy and gratitude for winning the award, saying that it was a rewarding experience that taught them a lot about engineering and teamwork. They also thanked their advisors, Professor Tetsuya Yagi from Tokyo Tech’s School of Engineering and Associate Professor Takashi Tsubouchi from Tokyo Tech’s Institute for Liberal Arts, for their guidance and support.
The team plans to continue developing their robots and participate in more competitions in the future. They hope to inspire more people to learn about marine robotics and appreciate the beauty and potential of underwater technology.
